Fishing line retriever



April 9, 1946. E, R, EgRAY 2,397,916

FISHING LINE RETRIEVER v Filed March 12, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ems-:5- Ems-.53.

- .A ril 9, 1946. E. R. BRAY FISHING LINE RETRIEVER ZShGGtS-SIIGGI. 2'-

' Filed March 12, 1944 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT .v orrlcE Application May 12', 1944, Se1fial Ne.--35 ,'281 'Infianada May 20, 1-943 Claims.

The invention relates to a new and improved device to slide down a fishing line which has become snagged in rocks, roots, or the like, to loosen the snagged hook or hooks; and said invention is an improvement over my U. S. Patent 2,316,500, of April 13, 12943.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction which will be less, liable to c tch on roots and e like and may be. IDWE QQ into narrower crevices.

Another object is to provide an improved construction which will. remain on the line of snagged hook no matter how many positions it must take during operation.

A further object is to provide the device with a detachable weight which may be left behind when it is necessary to lighten weight as much as possible due to long portages to be encountered on the trip, novel means being provided, however, to permit .easy fasteningof a rock to the device, when the destination is reached, to act as a substitute for the aforesaid detached Weight.

A still further object isto provide another form of construction in which one end of the device may be detached and the rest used as-an emerncy hamm r, or as a lub for s bdu ng lar e fish. f

Yet another object is to provide a device o f exceptionally simple and inexpensive form, yet one which will eilicie-nt to a high degree.

With the foregoing 'vi'ew. the nvention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter r ed and claimed. des ript on being a complished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is an edgeview.

Fig: 3 is a cross sectional view on. line 3+3 of Fig. 4 is an edge view with the weight removed and 'therock-holdingframe applied.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing in broken lines a rock lashed to the frame to serve as a weight.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a slightly difierent form of the rock-holding frame of Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a different form of construction in which the shaft is in two sections, one secured to the weight and the other detachably connected with said weight Fig. 8 is an edge view partly in section as indicated by line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, partly in section, showing a further variation.

Fig. 9.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to '6, a stiff wire shaft f5 has atone end a small loop or eye 6 and "a larger loop l and at its other end a small 'loop orfeye 6 and a still larger loop '1'. and the 'small loops 6 and 16 are turned inwardly and positioned apprfqxirnately in line with the large loops 1? and 1 This change over the patent above inentionedperinits the device to more readily enter afinarrow crevice in the fish hook'or lure may be caught. The latter operation is also facilitated by the planes or the large loops being disposed atsharply acute angles to'the length of the shaft. The ends 8 and 1 o Wire e' x eoi led lath eneral circular direction of the large loops l and 7' respectively to overlap portions of these loops and leave entrance throats 9 ands! for the fishing line. These final bends B and 8 when posi- 10 is a detail section on line l0+lll of tinned as shown in the drawings, prevent the snagged line L from leavingthe loops l and 1 even though-the retriever is tumbled upside-down or in any other direction in manipulating the retriever supporting line L' and the fishing line.

A weight I3 is detachably mounted on the shaft 5* by forming it with a lbngitudina'l channel 13 to receive the'shaftand inserting a friction pin, cotter pin or the like 15in a transverse aperture formed in the weight. The shaft is formed with a slight bend I4 in which the pin is seated so that the weight cannot rotate or slide on the shaft. By making the weight readily detachable, it may be removed when one wishes to eliminate all the weight possible in taking a trip where there are long portages. In such event, the weight is left at home and a wire rock-holding frame I6 and a short piece of light wire vi'l' (or cord) are taken along. The frame or holder 16 is prefer-. ably made from suitable wire which is bent and twisted as shown in "Figse and .5 to provide a wide central portion oisubstantially rectangular shape having eyes or hooks I8 at its four corners and two shank or stem portions l9 and 20 extending from its ends. In Fig. 6, the frame is also provided with additional loops or hooks l8 and in fact any desired number of such loops or hooks may be employed. The stem 19 is formed with a hook 2| (Fig. 4) or a loop 2| (Fig. 6) adapted to engage with either of the loops or eyes 6 6*, while stem 20 is formed with a loop 22 adapted to be sprung over the other loop or eye as shown in Fig. 4. When the holder is thus applied to the shaft, a rock R of the proper size picked up at the shore of a lake or river after a portage has been made, is placed against frame l6 as shown in Fig. and the wire or cord l1 is wound around the rock and engaged with the hooks or loops 18 (or l 8 and l8 to securely fasten the rock in position. The wiring or other lashing of the rock, if carried out diagonally of the frame in the form of an X tends to shorten said frame and hold thev parts 2!, 22 (or 2| and 22) engaged with the small loops or, eyes 6*- and 6 fastened, will be in substantially the same position as the weight 13*, and it will be noted that either weight will be nearly directly above the part of the large loop which loosens the snagged hook.

Due to the throats 9 and 9 the loops I and l may be easily engaged with a snagged line L and allowed to slide down the same while attached to the drop line L'. 7 comes to rest, usually against the snagged hook,

it is manipulated by means of said drop lineLf to dislodge the hook. Due to the structural changes which the. improved device embodies, there is practically no likelihood of it slipping from the line, or failing to enter in narrow crevices, or catching on roots and the like.

In Figs. 7 to 10, the shaft is intwo sections 5 and 5, the section 5 being threaded into or otherwise secured to-the weight I3 while the section'5 isdetachably connected with said weight. When section 5 is detached, the section 5 and weightl 3' may be used as an emergency hammer,

or as a club for subduing large fish. V V

InFigs. '7 and 8, the-inner end-of the shaft section is bent to form a V-shaped resilient attaching member 25, the crotch of which engages a headed stud 26 projecting from one side of the weight l3 The side arms of this attaching member are received between two additional headed studs 21v and are bent to form seats 28 to engage these studs.

In Figs. 9 and 10, the inner end of the shaft section 5 is bent to form a smaller U-shaped attaching member or loop which-issnugly received in a socket 29 in the weight and held detachably by means of a, friction pin 30. The

loops 1 and 1 and the eyes 6 and 6 are identical with those above described.

- Excellentresults are obtainable from the exact details shown and described and they are, therefore, .preferably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, minor variationsmay be made. e

The rock when When the device portions after forming said large loops being unidirectional with said large loops and spaced from portions of said large loops to allow engagement of these loops with the snagged line, said small loops being closed and providing means for connecting a drop-line with either end of said shaft.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which the planes of the two large loops are at sharply acute angles to the length of the shaft.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said two small'lcops being disposed between the two large loops. 7

4. A structure as specified in claim 1; said weight being positioned in line with the two large loops. 5. A structure as specified in claim 1 in which 7 an intermediate portion of the shaft is bent, the

weight has a longitudinal channel to receive said intermediate bent portion of the shaft and a transverse pin is passed through the weight and engages said bend to detachably fasten the weight totheshaft.

6. In aifishing line retriever, a shaft having guide means toencirclea snagged line, said shaft being provided also with two lateral projections near its ends, and a rock-holding'frame havin attaching means at .its opposite ends to engage said projections and attach said frame to said shaft, and tie anchoring projections on said frame to be engaged by. a tie when the latter. is used to lash a rock to said frame to act as a weight.

7. 'Ina fishing linerretriever, a shaft havin guide means to encircleasnaggedline', said shaft being divided into two end sections, a. weight.extending from one of said sections. to the other, means securing one of said sections to said weight, and releasable means detachably connecting the other of said sections to said weight."

8. A structure as specified in claim 7; said releasable means comprising lateral headed studs on said weight and a bent inner resilient end on said other of said sections, said bent end having seats held detachably engaged withsaidheaded studs by the resiliency of said bent ends.

'9. Ina fishing line retriever, a shaft having guide means to encircl'ea snagged line, said shaft being divided'into two end sections, a weight extendin from one of said sections to the other, means securing one of said sections to said weight, the inner end of' the other of said sections being bent into V-shape and being resilient, one lateral headed stud on said weight being engaged by the crotch of said V and two additional lateral headed -studs between which the arms of said V; extend,

said arms having seats engaging said additional studs.

10. A structure as specified inclaim 7; said releasable means comprising a loop on the inner end of said other section received in a socket in said weight, and a pin extending thrcugh said weightandloop. x

7 ELWYN R. BRAY. 

